Really now, how difficult is it for a quartet (at most) of grown men to get on the same page?

On a Greg Logan blog entry posted last night, here’s Rick DiPietro explaining the “plan” when he was off the ice first at yesterday’s morning skate but didn’t start the Edmonton game:

“I think the plan all along was to let Joey play tonight, then have the extra two days off and then play in Calgary.”

And now here’s Joey MacDonald, saying he was only told after yesterday’s morning skate that he was getting the start against the Oilers.

“I was a little bit surprised. Every night I try to be ready. I came in and they said, ‘You’re playing.’ So I went on with my routine.”

MacDonald is the Jimmy Stewart character in this movie. He’s innocent – a terrific, stand-up gentleman playing his butt off for this team. I also don’t blame DiPietro. It’s his job to play, not direct.

Just about every team in the NHL does its best to inform their starting goalies the night before a game. It’s a tradition – it’s professionalism, it’s courtesy – that extends back to the days when goaltenders didn’t wear masks. The Islanders are run by a general manager and head coach who were both goalies.

This should not be that difficult. If there is any uncertainty whether DiPietro can start the next game, he should not.

Whether there’s some scamming going on or not, are any of the actors in this film talking to one another? Can someone take a leadership role so you can all be on message? Can you imagine what it would be like if this lack of communication was being covered by the press on a Yankees-like scale, instead of just Logie touring Western Canada by himself and posting on his blog at 3:46 am EST?

My wife and I have twin boys. They do a much better job of keeping their stories straight. They are 8 years old.